Blog Archives

Why does a buyer or seller look for a real estate professional in today’s new market reality? There’s plenty of information readily available for them to look at and analyze as they’re going through the process.

That’s just the point. Information being readily available causes confusion. That’s when people seek out professionals (whether it be a doctor, lawyer, or real estate professional) for an analysis of the information and their situation. Because of the wealth of information available, people are yearning for expert advice.

Don’t be afraid of those two words. Remember:

An expert doesn’t mean you’re going to give perfect advice.

An expert means you’re going to give excellent advice.

Here’s the difference:

If you go to a doctor with a serious illness, she can’t tell you how it’s all going to wind up in the end. She doesn’t know. If she did, that would be perfect advice.

However, your doctor can give you excellent advice in that she can tell you about your illness and your options, whether it be surgery or medications. She can also explain what she believes to be the best option for you based on your history, symptoms, and overall health. Ultimately, though, you’re going to make the final decision of whether you go through with the treatment plan.

Once you make that decision, your doctor will take you by the hand and walk you down the road to recovery. She will explain to you that there might be adjustments that need to be made to the treatment plan, because no one can know for certain how things will turn out. She might have to adjust your medications or increase or decrease your treatment schedule. But every step of the way, she’s there with you, helping you get to your ultimate goal. This is called excellent advice.

Similarly, if you went to an attorney, he can’t tell you how the case is going to end up or how the judge or jury will rule. That would be perfect advice. What a good attorney can do is explain your options. He might pick one or two options he believes to be the best ones to pursue. He will then leave you to make the decision on which option you want to take. Once you decide, he will help put a plan together based on the facts at hand. He will help you get to the best possible resolution of the case. And along the way, he’ll make whatever changes are needed. This is excellent advice.

A real estate professional’s role is similar to the role of the doctor and lawyer. They can’t give buyers or sellers perfect advice because they don’t know what’s going to happen—they can’t predict the future. However, they can give excellent advice based on the information and situation at hand. They can guide you through the process and help you make the necessary changes along the way. And that’s exactly what you deserve…and want!

Like

Like this:

Below you can see the mortgage rates from June 19, 2012. Please click the image below to view additional mortgage rates.

These rates are provided to you by HomeServices Lending. Semonin Realtors® is not a mortgage lender; please contact HomeServices Lending directly to learn more about its mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Like this:

Below you can see the mortgage rates from March 7, 2012. Please click the image below to view additional mortgage rates.

These rates are provided to you by HomeServices Lending. Semonin Realtors® is not a mortgage lender; please contact HomeServices Lending directly to learn more about its mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Like this:

Below you can see the mortgage rates from February 28, 2012. Please click the image below to view additional mortgage rates.

These rates are provided to you by HomeServices Lending. Semonin Realtors® is not a mortgage lender; please contact HomeServices Lending directly to learn more about its mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Like this:

Below you can see the mortgage rates from February 14, 2012. Please click the image below to view additional mortgage rates.

These rates are provided to you by HomeServices Lending. Semonin Realtors® is not a mortgage lender; please contact HomeServices Lending directly to learn more about its mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Like this:

Below you can see the mortgage rates from January 3, 2012. Feel free to click the image below to view additional mortgage rates.

These rates are provided to you by HomeServices Lending. Semonin Realtors is not a mortgage lender; please contact HomeServices Lending directly to learn more about its mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Selling your home and buying a new home are typically not thought of as easy and relaxing processes. Fortunately, a Realtor® can often make this endeavor a little less stressful.

Regardless of how much assistance you receive, there’s inevitably at least one portion of the home buying or selling process you wish you could eliminate altogether. What is it for you? Decluttering? Manicuring your lawn? Packing? House hunting?

Tell us: If you could eliminate one part of the home buying or selling process, what would it be?

Like this:

It seems that every time we talk about real estate today the conversation immediately goes to the financial aspects of buying a home. Where are prices headed? Where are interest rates headed? Should I wait to try and get a ‘better buy’? Should I wait until I can get a ‘steal’?

The odd thing about all these questions is that survey after survey keeps telling us that price is not the reason families actually buy a home. When money is considered at all, it is in light of not paying rent to a landlord. Let’s look at two recent surveys as examples:

National Housing Survey

The top five reasons given in the survey for buying a home, in order, are:

It means having a good place to raise children and provide them with a good education

You have a physical structure where you and your family feel safe

It allows you to have more space for your family

It gives you control of what you do with your living space (renovations and updates)

Paying rent is not a good investment

The Myers Research and Strategic Services Survey

The top five reasons given in the survey for buying a home, in order, are:

Home ownership provides a stable and safe environment for children and other family members

Home ownership means the money you spend on housing goes towards building equity, rather than to a landlord

Home ownership creates the opportunity to pay off a mortgage and own your home by the time you retire

Home ownership creates the opportunity to live in a neighborhood that you enjoy

Home ownership allows you the right to decorate, modify and renovate your home as you see fit

Bottom Line

Price dominates conversation when we talk about buying a home. However, when it comes down to it, we actually buy for the same reasons our parents and grandparents did – we want a better lifestyle for ourselves and our families.